More on the Sacred Masculine

First, the workshop has been rescheduled for September 17th 7:00 -8:30pm. We made the switch because three days before there were only two people registered and we were getting feedback that it would work better in September. Then over the weekend I got four phone calls from people who planned to attend and, unknown to me, Mery, at True North, had three others say they planned to attend. So it would have gone very well!!!!! I don’t know what the message of that experience was but (short of some sort of environmental catastrophe) it will not be cancelled or rescheduled again.

In this posting I am sharing an impressionistic list of qualities of Sacred Masculine. Compared to other posts this is a somewhat different style of writing. I am writing from an intuitive, experiential place not from intellect, ideas or other people’s work. So this is not yet carefully worked out in precise ways.

This list has also been critiqued as being somewhat traditional which in many ways it is. I take the traditional categories of (warrior, king, magician, father and lover) and try to see into their depths. What is important to me in this is that I am looking for the sacred in the every day. I am looking for the Sacred Masculine within the midst of daily life as it is lived by all of us. Hans Kung, the Roman Catholic Theologian, wrote a book in the 1970s titled The Incognito Christ, describing the Risen Christ as experienced hidden in daily life. The book was condemned by the hierarchy which probably meant it was worth reading. In this writing, what I am doing is seeking not in temples, or rituals or priests or priestesses. Rather, I’m looking for the sacred in the heart and Soul of the mundane. It is easy to find the Sacred Masculine in Gandhi, Mandela or St. Francis. Here I am describing it in its “hidden” forms and in the unexpected places from which it emerges.

1. The Sacred Masculine may be seen in Indiana Jones, not James Bond. (You can be a warrior and adventurer but not a psychopath.)
2. The SM is seen in William Wallace not Rambo. (My prejudice for the Scottish liberator is duly noted.)
3. SM is in King Arthur not Julius Caesar. (You can be a ruler not a worldwide conqueror.)
4. Sacred Masculine is seen in the film “Remember The Titans” not “The Longest Yard.”
5. SM is seen in “Dances with Wolves” and “Field of Dreams.”
6. “The Butler” is a wonderful example of SM and DF as partners. As is the relationship in “Prince of Tides” between Lowenstein and Wingo.
7. SM is seen in Bill Russell not Wilt Chamberlain.
8. SM is seen in the 2013 Red Sox and never the Yankees. (Sorry had to toss that one in!)
9. SM is in Ted Williams’ swing of a baseball bat not his personality. (See The Kid; The Immortal Life of Ted Williams by Ben Bradlee Jr.)
10. SM is seen in the friendship between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson which transcended their very intense competition.
11. SM is fly fishing with catch and release not trophy fishing in the ocean.
12. SM is the comedy of George Carlin, Robin Williams and Billy Connolly not Andrew Dice Clay, Don Rickles or Rodney Dangerfiled. (SM emerges in humor that does not ridicule individuals or groups but makes us laugh and think.)
13. SM is seen in Carl Jung not Sigmund Freud.
14. SM is seen in Bishop Eugene Robinson of the Episcopal Church and defrocked United Methodist minister Frank Schaefer. (The SM makes space for all our brothers and sisters. There is now movement of Methodist ministers performing same sex marriages as a way to protest the archaic stance of their church.)
15. SM is in the JFK of the Cuban Missile Crisis not of the Bay of Pigs and certainly not of his chronic womanizing.
16. SM may be seen in Warren Buffett and not in Donald Trump.
(You can be wealthy as long as you also seek justice.)
17. Saturday evening I attended a Native American drumming ceremony which made it very clear to me that the SM loves to drum especially with the DF.

Please feel free to add to this list or comment on particular items or the whole list. Perhaps that leads to the next item: The Sacred Masculine engages in dialogue.

5 Comments

I appreciate this post.

Specifically, I appreciate that you share your personal views on the SM. I like that you elaborate on what are the distinctive qualities of the SM. Attributes like “warrior, adventurer, liberator, friend, one who is able to laugh and think, a promoter of justice, and one who engages in dialogue” (…and Jung over Freud, for sure!).

And, of course, the SM is one who enjoys engaging with the DF – whether in a drumming ceremony or in many other types of encounters.

For me, this explanation elevates the relationship between the SM and DF to one of considered appreciation and engagement, as well as respectful enjoyment of one another. How important this perspective is in modern society – Thank you.

Hi Kerri
The SM like the DF is so many things reflecting so many qualities. But I like the sense of engagement, connection and dialogue most of all. It is dialogue that keeps its “mountain energy” from being removed and aloof. The dialogue we are all having about this issue is such a pleasant surprise to me that I am truly happy with it. It adds a deeper dimension to the process.

The SM is really a rare kind of bird, don’t you think?
Any sign of him is immediately fixed in the boy from day one. Chivalry, honor, humor, and responsibility are not traits boys shoot for anymore. Sports guys don’t care about your feelings, they just want you to watch their game, or buy their jersey number. No one is showing kids how to act, and what to emulate and what qualities to homor. Just watch basketball, kid, and pay attention to the beer ads when they come on.
Maybe a pat on the back, if they’re lucky. And then they’re off… and without anyone to really guide them their masculine energy develops into negative, very powerful negative, energy.

Tammi
Thank you for your contribution. You correctly point to the shadow sides of sports as a multibillion dollar industry seeking to very efficiently squeeze every nickel out of fans. There is huge negative energy there. AND that is exactly my point! The SM arises in the midst of all this on an evening where they honor a long time star and elder with respect and warmth.

And, Yes, The SM is a rare bird which like its cousins the eagles and hawks is experiencing a resurgence.

PATHWAYS TO THE SOUL BLOG

I am starting this blog to create a space for dialogue about personal and spiritual growth. It is my plan to post once or twice per month and will respond to any comment within forty eight hours. I urge readers to comment on any of my postings with agreement, disagreement, questions or expansions. This blog is meant as a vehicle for dialogue, reflection and community.
Please feel free to pass these postings along to friends, family and colleagues. That is, after all, the way to “grow” the blog.
In this light there are three cautions I need to emphasize:
1) Posting here is not private or confidential. Anything said here is in the public domain.
2) This blog is a space for general reflection on themes of personal and spiritual growth and as such it is not intended as a substitute for psychotherapy or other treatment.
3) As the “keeper of this space” I reserve the right to erase any comment that is not in line with its intention.
I hesitate to say these things but legal consultants make it clear that this is necessary. (Sigh)

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C. Graham Campbell, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, families and groups.

He has specialties in working with grieving people, people experiencing panic attacks and those searching for deeper meaning and purpose in life. Increasingly his work focuses on spiritual themes.

In addition to being a psychologist he has a degree in theology and is trained in transpersonal and spiritual psychology.